Category Archives: East Dulwich

The Rye Poets did a performance celebrating mothers on Mother’s Day at the Mum Before Me exhibition held at Jeannie Avent Gallery in East Dulwich. What you can’t see is the audience. Plentiful and so supportive.

I confess this made me feel embarrassed. I did win Southwark Snapper of the Year, which was marvellous, and third prize at Dulwich Picture Gallery’s Biennial Exhibition. And I was a prize-winner in South Bank Poetry’s urban competition last year. I’m happy with these ‘accolades’ (and not a little surprised) but multi-award winning it does not make me. I just looked up meaning of ‘multiple’ and it can mean ‘more than one’. So, perhaps I should relax and enjoy my five-minutes of fame. Thank you Peckham Festival. Self-promotion: it’s a complicated and heady thing.

A blackboard on Barry Road (Peckham Rye end) is headed ‘before I die I want to…’ Here are some of the wishes

The chalkface of desires

see a puffin… say love you… see the Northern lights (with Amy)… hang out with my dog… (dog’s wish – to catch a squirrel)… make a masterpiece… eat around the world… meet David Attenborough… do well in SATs… witness the end of poverty… enjoy every moment…make my kids proud

The little girl’s wish is to dance. I’m not saying what mine was… and by now it has been rubbed away to make room for other people’s wishes .

Since I keep no coffee at home I go out for my fix. When I have a coffee I like to taste it, and not the slick of a pint of milk. That, after all, leads only to arses the size of a table for four and furry arteries. Also… if I wanted a warm milkshake, I would ask for one. I’ve been thinking about coffee because many local cafes have been closed between Christmas and New Year. A good thing for the staff, but trying for the likes of me. Get over it, you say. I have. Today I had a perfect flat white @toastdulwich

And how marvellous to be in a position to complain about coffee; such an indulgence. I almost want to apologise.